Putin says environment priority for expected new term

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday said improving the environment in the country would be a priority in the next few years, speaking ahead of polls this month expected to extend his Kremlin term to 2024. “It is hard to talk about a long and healthy life when to this day millions of people are forced to drink water that does not meet standards,” he said during a state of the nation address. This was also the case “if black snow is falling, like in Krasnoyarsk, when people in industrial hubs can go for weeks without seeing the sun because of smog,” he told lawmakers, top government officials and celebrities.